Saving the Heroes
by KESwriter
Summary: When the team is abducted, it is up to the other BAU agents along with some friends to track this fiendish team of UNSUBs and bring the team home.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

I have no idea where this is going. I'm feeling down and I need to write. I have other projects going on outside FF so I may not come back to this soon. Let's just enjoy the first chapter together shall we?

When the team is abducted, is up to the other BAU agents along with some friends to track this fiendish team of UNSUBs down and bring them home.

Rated T for Violence

Saving the Heroes

Prologue:

The team was called to small town in Minnesota called New Hamlet. There had been a series of abductions of both men and women who were found with distinctive brands on the wrists that Morgan recognized from his time as a cop in Chicago. The perpetrator had died behind bars so Morgan expressed interest in joining the team to discover the connection. Hotch approved his request immediately.

They were about a fifteen minutes away from the town and Garcia was getting jittery. Morgan looked at her.

"Nerves baby-girl?" he asked.

"I don't like leaving my safe little nest," she said.

Hotch glanced up from the case files. "The town is in a fairly remote area. The local police expressed interest in having you there to sort through the small amount of computer data they have."

"I know but I have a bad feeling about this tiny little lost town."

Morgan held her hand. "Don't worry baby-girl. I won't let anything happen to you."

The town was so small they had to go to the second-closest town for the jet to land. The pilot spoke over the intercom.

"We're being redirected to small private hangar due to traffic on the main runway."

Reid looked alarmed. "Guys I memorized the flight schedule. There are no other planes landing in this area."

J.J. put away her files. "You don't know everything Spence. Maybe there was a mechanical problem and the planes had to be redirected."

"I hope your right J.J."

No one spoke as the plane landed. Lewis was the last to get off the plane and looked around.

"Now what?" she said.

Hotch dialed his phone and then put it down. "There is no service out here. We'll have to use the phone inside."

Reid heard it first. The faint hiss of a dart. Before anyone else could react he threw himself in front J.J. He was hit in the back with a tiny dart with a red tail. The rest of the team pulled out their weapons but no one knew where to aim. Then Hotch was hit in his shoulder. Lewis in the leg. Morgan in the stomach. Garcia the forearm. J.J. couldn't hide under Reid's thin frame and was shot in the ankle. The pilot hid in the cockpit but failed to lock the door. A masked man hit him in the neck. He was left to be their witness.

Two masked men loaded the team into a van and sped out of the hangar. No would know they were missing for at least an hour. Their fate was in their hands now.

Chapter One:

The bullpen at the BAU was mostly empty. Some members of Ian Smith's team worked next to and around Jennifer Jareau and Spencer Reid. Annie Jones was particularly upset as she looked over at Reid's desk full of a combination of paper work and abstract equations. Luke Marlon appeared equally dismayed he glanced at Jareau's family photos. They both stood up with trepidation as the Smith gestured for them to go to the conference room.

"This isn't right," Jones said. "It is their conference room. Ours is across the hall."

"Cruz is waiting for us there," Smith said as they walked over there.

Kevin Lynch suddenly rushed passed them. Of all his team members, he knew Lynch would be the most upset.

His senior special agent Emma Keller was there waiting in there also. She looked as tense as he felt.

Once everyone was seated Cruz passed out folders.

Cruz turned on the monitor and the team of missing agents appeared.

"I know this is hard, but these agents are depending on you to find them," he began. "We will use every resource available to track to down the UNSUB responsible. You are among the best agents we have. I trust you completely to bring our friends and colleagues home."


	2. Chapter 2

I have not written like an idea is about to burst from my head in a long time. Thanks for expressing interest in this story!

Chapter Two:

"Let's review what we know so far," Smith said pulling out a white board.

Cruz looked at his notes. "New Hamlet Sheriff's Department requested help in a series of homicide/abductions where the victims had been strangled and then branded on the wrist. It was an arrow crossed with a key. Hotchner looked up the symbol in our database and noted that Morgan worked on a case where such a brand was used."

Keller circled the brand. "That can't be a coincidence. Someone wanted Morgan to return to the team," she said.

Marlon looked up from his file. "Has there been another abduction yet?"

Jones pulled out her phone and made calculations. "There should have been an hour ago. Though there is the possibility that the time frame has changed slightly."

Smith began to make a time line. "The team was called to the case at eight o'clock in the morning after the second victim was found at six o'clock. They boarded the jet at eight-thirty. According the jet records, it touched ground at eleven o'clock in Mill Town. Everyone is tranquilized at that point. New Hamlet officials get concerned when they haven't heard from Hotchner by noon. At that point the pilot wakes up and finds all the phone lines in the hangar have been cut and has to run to the main airport to tell them what happened."

Keller shook her head. "It took a lot of planning to get that jet into private hangar."

"If they have the right equipment it isn't too hard," Lynch said quietly. "It is a case latching on to the right frequency."

"The abductors could have posed as the tarmac workers to gain access to the hangar," Smith suggested.

Cruz nodded. "Someone also remotely wiped all the employee data about the airport."

Smith added under the time line UNSUB. "At least one of the UNSUBs is highly skilled in hacking."

Marlon began to underline the things in the report. "The pilot's report is thin. He seems to barely remember anything aside from looking out the door to see two assailants with stun guns dressed in black with black masks."

"That is why your team needs to get out there to do a memory recall with him," Cruz said. "We need to find the team."

Smith was working at the white board. "Sir you were notified about the missing agents at twelve-thirty. It is now one forty-five. With your permission sir I'd like to take Agent Marlon down with me and have Agent Keller run things from here with Agent Jones and Kevin Lynch."

"Why only you and Marlon?" Cruz asked.

"Sir, I think I can speak for the team when I say that we all know that the pilot may have only see two UNSUBs, but there is most likely at least one other person. Someone is coordinating all the pieces. The replicator only wanted Blake in the end. I think we're going to get a message from abductors soon and it will come directly to the BAU."

"Okay," Cruz said. "Your jet is already prepped. Leave when you're ready and keep me informed."

Cruz was preparing to leave when Keller got his attention. "Sir has anyone notified the families yet?"

"I'll take care of that next," he said sadly. He got up and left.

Smith approached the team, leaned forward, and gripped the table. "The clock is ticking. Jones I want you to get in contact with Chicago PD. Find out everything you can about that symbol. Keller study victimology. Call in whoever you think can help such as former team members. Marlon and I are going to study the crime scene and re-interview the pilot. I also don't think there is an UNSUB in New Hamlet anymore but I'm not ready to rule it out yet."

He looked to Lynch. "Kevin I really need you to be one hundred percent on this. I know you have a history with Garcia. If you can't do the job I'll sideline you, got it?"

Lynch nodded. "Yes Sir," he said.

Smith gathered his things and Marlon did the same. "Wheels up as soon as we can get to the jet. Call if you find anything. I'll be calling when we land."

"Be careful Ian," Keller said.

"You too Emma," he said as he left the room.

Keller stood up. "Let's get to work."

She glanced at the timeline. The agents had been missing for three hours at this point. She didn't want to think about what could be happening to her colleagues right now.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the support! A movie I saw recently was "Spotlight." I liked the tightness of the story. It would be hard to name the star of the film because they all worked in such a cohesive unit. That is what I am aiming for here.

Chapter Three:

Marlon stood on a hill with Smith near the Mill Town private hangar. "I'm the UNSUB. I had the cameras disabled here last night. The plane is being redirected here on my command. I watch the agents get off the plane. My partner and I could have knocked them out one by one as they got off the plane but we don't."

Smith blocks his view. "But you're afraid the agents will take cover in the plane. They'll regroup and find where you're shooting from and shoot back."

"We choose to wait so that we get all the agents."

Smith pulls out his tablet and takes notes. "Both of the UNSUBS are skilled in shooting."

"We need to talk to that pilot," Marlon said.

…

"I just saw them falling over each other," Marcus King, the pilot said tearfully. "I saw J.J. trying to hide under Reid as she pulled out her gun but they just shot her too."

Smith looked him straight in the eye. "Marcus I need you to calm down. We're here to help. I need you to close your eyes and tell me everything you remember. Start with when you got the directions to change course…"

Marlon left the room as this was typically supposed to be done one on one. He decided to call up Jones.

"How goes the symbol hunt?" he asked.

"Crazy," she said. "The symbol belongs to a society known as Keys of Wisdom. They were a combination of cult and terror cell as they would leave ticking packages with the symbol in the homes of politicians whose viewpoints they disagreed with."

"So what viewpoints did they disagree with?" he asked.

"Chicago Schoolboard members trying to get creationism in the classroom. City council members who insisted on nativities being place a public property."

"Did any of the bombs turn out to be real?"

"Only when a city council member publicly mocked them. They blew up a dumpster by his house. No one was hurt and the group was caught."

Marlon took notes. "So how does this get turned into a brand used on people who are abducted, tortured, and strangled to death?"

"Morgan worked in the bomb squad. I've been searching through every case he worked in Chicago. This is the only one associated with a symbol this distinct."

"Who has access to the reports?"

"Anyone in law enforcement. I called up the records department to see if anyone logged on repeatedly for info on cases associated with Derek Morgan. Guess who the top user was."

"Derek Morgan," he said. "It has only been three months since he quit."

"Right on the money. I found out when the search history started. Four months ago."

Marlon added it two the timeline. "We have a start point. Great work Annie. How's Kevin holding up?"

"He's on auto-pilot mode," she said. "He doesn't say much. He's looking for a data breach in the BAU."

"How about you and Keller?"

"I'm keeping busy. The families just came in and Keller is a little flustered. They're all scared, upset, and want answers. They don't trust us. Especially Keller."

"Probably because she's the least recognizable senior agent. She hasn't been here that long."

Marlon saw Smith emerge. "Smith is back from interviewing the pilot."

"Can you put me on speaker phone? I want to hear this."

"Jones is on the line," Marlon said. "What did you find out?"

Smith sighed. "I got some better height estimates and one line: 'You don't get to share their fate' one of the assailants said before he passed out."

Marlon shook his head. "That sounds way too vague to be of any use."

"Fate and symbols though," Jones said. "These UNSUBS have a flair for the dramatic. Keep that in mind. Smith did you find anything?"

"I emailed you a report," she said. "It goes in line with your theory that the symbol was only used to draw Morgan into the case and the UNSUBs started looking for in info on Morgan four months ago."

"Thanks Jones. Is Keller available to talk?"

"She's speaking with Blake and Callahan."

"I'll call later then. Keep me informed at all times," Smith said. "I have a bad feeling we'll be hearing from the UNSUBs soon."

"The wait is starting to kill me," Jones said.

"Us too Annie. Us too," Marlon said.

…

Blake and Kate looked at Keller's work. There was ID photo of each of the team members on a white board and underneath them were the connections she drew along with labels. She had also made notes on character traits. There was a pile case files covering the table.

"You've been busy," Callahan said.

Keller's fingers were covered in ink. "I was asked to study victimology."

Blake looked at some of the wording. "I hated that part of the job. Give me a note to decode any day."

"You may have that once the UNSUBs raise their heads and send a message," Keller said glumly.

She looked at them. "Why Morgan and not you two?"

"We have the least connections to the team," Callahan said.

"I know but Blake you co-lectured with Reid. You were also the one to pull Reid out of the line of fire after he was shot."

Blake wouldn't look at her. "My reasons for leaving are personal. Only Reid knows the whole story."

Keller put a question mark next to Lewis. "That is what makes the whole thing so frustrating. Lewis has the least connections to the team that can be quantified. I'm running with the theory that this is an UNSUB who sees the current team as a family unit."

"Lewis is an adopted member of the 'family?'" Callahan offered.

"That is my only other option."

Suddenly the monitor flickered and all three women jumped.

Hotchner appeared on the screen in navy blue scrubs. "My name is Unit Chief Senior Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner and I am a murderer," he said.

The screen flickered again. Rossi appeared in similar garb, gave his position name, and stated that he was a murderer.

Keller scrambled to pull out her phone and started to record.

Morgan appeared with a large bruise on his forehead. "My name is Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan and I am a murderer."

Jones walked in and started taking notes.

Reid's left eye had swollen shut, but he managed to make the same statement.

Keller turned briefly to Jones. Jones closed the blinds.

Jareau had a bloody nose. Lewis was shaking as she spoke. Garcia wept through her lines.

The screen went black and a long number appeared followed by in a simple type face: "Murders perpetrated by these agents. They are sentenced to life imprisonment."

The screen went black again. There was the sound of thunder. All four of the women left the conference room. Lynch came running in.

"Someone manage to blow a server. We lost some data. It had to have been a highly advanced to hack. Did anyone see something?"

Keller looked to Blake and Callahan. "You're both back on assignment here until we get our colleagues back."

Tears began to fall down Blake's cheeks. "Friends Agent Keller. They're our friends."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the support!

Chapter Four:

With great difficulty Cruz managed to usher the families out of the BAU. Keller explained that the video had no clues as to the whereabouts of the team. It was late in the evening when Smith via video conference suggested they order food.

Smith and Marlon were eating burgers and fries while and Keller had ordered Chinese for the team. It felt weird eating in their conference room but then again just being there felt wrong.

Jones had a laptop open. "So the number presented on the screen represents deaths caused by the team. As in shoot-outs. No deaths where the team was too late to save the victims of UNSUBs"

"So the UNSUB is against capital punishment," Marlon. "Could it be related to losing a loved one via shootout with one of these agents?"

"That's what I'm working on," Jones said. "Kevin is busy with trying to find the breach in the system."

"How is he holding up?" Smith asked.

Blake answered. "I got him to calm down after seeing the video. He's working with the theory that someone was using Morgan's password during and after he left the BAU."

Keller pinched the bridge of her nose. "It has to be someone on the inside or closely associated the BAU. There are two motives. Jealousy and vengeance. Jealousy because of any unit, they have the most personal connections. Vengeance because they feel wronged in some way."

Callahan was picking chicken out of her box. "Could it be both? Their imprisonment could be an act of vengeance against the team based on feeling jealous about being excluded from something."

Marlon smiled. "I'd suggest you were describing Anderson, but he recently got promoted to Andy Swan's team."

"Who else internally fits the profile?" Smith asked. "An outsider with few family connections and is a workaholic?"

Keller looked around. "All of us," she said. "Ian you and I are both divorced. Luke you're in a long-distance relationship and Annie, forgive me but I don't know your relationship status."

Jones waved her hand. "It's complicated is all I'll say. But it doesn't keep me from work."

Blake smiled. "I remember watching karaoke with that team. We also toasted to J.J.'s health after she was abducted."

Callahan smiled also. "Garcia invited me a to couple girl's night outs."

The team wouldn't look at each other. Marlon felt his right ribs.

"You guys brought me flowers after I was shot that one time," he said.

Jones looked up. "Do you think of all the units, that is why we were chosen?" she asked. "We have the least interpersonal connections."

Everyone was silent. Smith approached the monitor. "Agents, you are among the brightest most loyal group of people I know. We are not Hotchner's team. We live and work differently but our goal remains the same. I am proud to know each of you and would take a bullet for any one of you."

Callahan clapped. "That sounds like a caring leader to me."

Blake grinned. "You would never find Hotch making such a speech. He keeps them briefer."

"I have never heard that guy crack a joke," Smith said.

Blake and Callahan glanced at each other. "He does have his moments," Callahan said.

Keller sat back. "After they get home and resettled we are going to have drinks with them."

"Definitely, now let's refocus on finding them," Smith said. "Keys of Wisdom. I think there are some more connections to that group. Jones keep digging on that."

Jones looked through her notes. "The lead detective is retired," she said and glanced up at the clock. "It's getting close to midnight. Should I call at this hour?"

"The team could transported elsewhere," Smith said. "This is a matter of urgency."

Jones got up. "I'll be in the bullpen."

"So why the navy blue scrubs?" Blake asked.

"To better conceal them if they were to try to make a break for it," Callahan said quietly.

"Which means they have another way of tracking them if they do escape," Marlon said. "It must be below the waist such as an ankle bracelet.

Jones suddenly appeared. "Guys. I just got off the phone with Chicago PD. The detective has been murdered. Shot point-blank in the head about six hours ago. A message was written in his blood: "The Keys unlock and lock fates."

"Chicago isn't that far away from Minnesota. Get on the next plane there. Callahan can you go with her?"

"I always keep a go-bag with me," she said.

"I'll call CPD to tell them about your arrival."

Both women said good-bye and left.

"Blake I want you with Keller when the next message comes in."

"That sounds fine with me," Blake said. "I was packed for an overnight stay also."

"Speaking of overnight, Ian I have a comfortable couch. I'd like to work overnight on the case."

"I'll stay with her," Blake offered. "Spencer means a lot to me and I can't imagine leaving either."

Marlon offered a hand. "Sir there are no comfortable couches here. I'll take my work back to the hotel with me."

"Just don't stay up too late everyone. Tell Lynch to do the same," Smith said. "We made significant progress to give to Cruz tomorrow. The UNSUBs are experienced marksmen, one of them is a highly skilled hacker and they share a vendetta against the team."

…

It was around six o'clock in the morning when Keller woke up to a tapping sound on her door.

"Ma'am," a security guard said. "I don't mean to disturb you. A series of boxes were delivered to the main lobby addressed to you."

"They were screened for security risks and nothing came up?" she said.

"Yes Ma'am," she said.

Blake pulled out her phone. "I'll take photos while you open," she said.

They used Smith's conference room as Hotchner's was full of case files. They pulled on gloves. The three boxes were long and tall. The address was printed off of a computer.

The UNSUBs had sent them their clothes. Each box contained bags of neatly-labeled clothes. Rossi's belt buckle could be seen. Hotchner's suit was neatly folded. Garcia hair clips in another. Morgan's simple gray shirt. J.J.'s rings. Lewis' necklace. Blake dropped the bag containing Reid's sneakers on the table and took a step away, overcome with emotion. Keller noted no undergarments were visible, which drew a sigh of relief from her. They still had some dignity.

In the bottom of each box was the same note:

Personal Effects of Agents: Aaron Hotchner. David Rossi. Derek Morgan. Spencer Reid. Jennifer Jareau. Tara Lewis. Penelope Garcia. They won't be needing them anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the support! Let's see how long I can keep the momentum going.

Chapter Five:

"The earliest forms of prison uniforms consisted of bare feet at a time when shoes were worn. In the nineteenth century black and white striped uniforms were commonly used. This kind of garb was mostly phased out in the early twentieth century when it was considered a form of stigmatization. The change in color and the inclusion of work denims encourages the idea rehabilitation rather than incarceration."

"Blake?" Keller said.

Blake looked from resting her face on her arms. "I'm sorry. I was imagining Reid in the room."

"You must know him very well if you can do that," Keller said.

"I know him well enough I guess," she said.

"I have been harassing forensics for a good half-hour. The good news is they pulled sample prints of belts and buttons and they all come back belonging to the team. DNA testing will take twenty-four hours. On the inside hem of J.J.'s right pants leg they found something."

She pulled out a picture of a blood stain that looked like a word.

"U DOWN" Blake said, "I think it means she's trying to say they're being held underground."

"I had a feeling you could decipher it," Keller said. "I'll call Smith to tell him we have confirmation that we're looking for a place underground with an hour radius of Mill town and the post office where their things were sent from."

"That is a lot of land to cover," Blake said.

"Hey," Keller said tapping her shoulder. "Stay positive, we'll get a break."

"I'm sorry, I just remember when he was shot, I held his clothes then, and here I am now doing it again."

"Alex," Keller said. "He's going to be fine. We're going to find them."

"Thank Keller."

"Now let's see what Annie and Callahan find."

…

"You know the title 'Keys of Wisdom' sounds like something from a Mason, not a terrorist cell," Callahan said as they entered the crime scene.

A detective greeted them. "I thought the 'Keys of Wisdom' were long gone until they left the message. I'm detective Chris Liam."

"I am Agent Annie Jones and this is Agent Kate Callahan," Jones said. They shook hands.

"Detective Nickolas Rogers was old-school in every way imaginable," Liam said as he led them through his apartment. "He kept all his notes and even retyped most of them on a typewriter."

"Did the neighbors hear anything?" Callahan asked.

"They thought it was just teens shooting off fireworks, we think killer used a suppressor."

The body had been moved out but the message remained in the office. Jones and Callahan looked at the message. Liam left the room to give them space.

"Why now and why this victim?" Jones asked.

"Doesn't Morgan's family live around here?" Callahan asked.

"No, I checked," Jones said. "His family lives across the town. Someone wanted us to see this message and respond."

"How?"

"He must have chosen Rogers for a reason. This is a game to someone."

"So let's play to win," Callahan said and pulled on some gloves. She began to open drawers. Jones went to the file cabinet and did the same.

After ten minutes of searching Callahan found something. She pulled out a key. "It's for a bank safety deposit box. I recognize the style."

"The game continues," Jones said.

…

They opened the safety deposit box and found money, a watch, some jewelry and a single printed note.

"Key without locks,

Yet I unlock the soul."

Callahan googled it. "A piano," she said.

"So what now Riddler?" Jones said.

"There was a battered old piano in Roger's apartment," Callahan said.

…

Taped under the seat they found sheet music. Jones tried to play but one of the keys was stuck. Callahan opened the top and found another note.

"Never to lie is to have no lock on your door, you are never wholly alone."

"It sounds like surveillance or a camera," Jones said.

"He doesn't have a smart phone, but I saw a digital camera on a book shelf in his office."

They opened the screen and found only an address to an empty office a few blocks from their location.

Jones sighed. "This is nutty."

"Only if it leads to nothing," Callahan said.

…

They called in the bomb squad given the history of the group. They found nothing but a plugged in laptop. There was a message for them.

"If you have come this far agents, you deserve a reward. We are the Keys of Wisdom. We will not let our sacred symbol be abused without a price. The person who is using our brand is Timothy Lake. That is all we will give you. You will never hear from again so long as the Keys of Wisdom remain waiting in the shadows to make our next move."

Jones immediately called Smith. Callahan looked at the message.

"A man died so that we could get this name. I hope there aren't more to follow."

…

Lake was a blacksmith who lived twenty-five miles away from New Hamlet. They found in his home ten thousand dollars in cash. They also found the branding equipment used on the victims. Finally in an empty horse stall they found the rotting corpse of Timothy Lake shot in the head.

Smith was angry. "How did a terror cell find this and not us?"

Marlon just got off the computer. "It was all done electronically. Instructions for how to kill the victims. Someone even mailed him the equipment for the Wi-Fi hot spot. The terror cell must have found the hacker."

The Medical Examiner Dr. Wyatt Pearl came in. "Your UNSUB was dead before the team came to town. I didn't know Lake personally but I asked around and people said he was cruel to animals and no one trusted them around their kids. Women also didn't like to visit this place because of the looks he gave. They preferred the smith a few miles down the road."

"Thank you Dr. Pearl," Smith said and sighed. "We have more pieces to this puzzle but none of them seem to fit."

"We'll find a way sir," Marlon. "We have to."


	6. Chapter 6

I like to think the horror/suspense of the story comes from what _isn't_ being said about what is happening to the team. Thanks for the support as always.

Chapter Six:

"So we have UNSUBs who paid a man to be the UNSUB," Keller said to Smith via teleconference. "That has to be the craziest thing I have ever heard and I have been at this job for a long time."

"Same here Emma," Smith said. "I have Marlon banging down doors and hitting local eateries to see if anyone saw somebody who didn't appear to fit in."

Blake was looking at her notes. "One of them is a hacker and the other is a chameleon. It would be surprising to two find two individuals with same skill sets."

"I'm not ready to rule out anything though. Jones and Callahan are trying to get more info out of the Keys of Wisdom. Keep an eye on Lynch and work victimology. There has to be something that pops out. I'll call be back in three hours as I'm going to be meeting with law enforcement agents. The press is starting to circle the wagons too."

"Good luck with that Ian," Keller said.

Smith sighed. "I'll need it." He then turned off the screen.

Keller turned to Blake. "So we've narrowed it down to ten files."

"Let's try to narrow it down to five before we send it to Lynch," Blake said.

There was a knocking on the door. Both Blake and Keller jumped. Keller undid the blinds as she opened the door. It was a woman with dark hair Keller didn't recognize.

She smiled. "Hi I'm Emily Prentiss."

Blake immediately got up. "Hey," she said "it's good to see you though I'd prefer it be under better circumstances."

"Likewise Blake," Prentiss said.

It dawned on Keller who she was. "Oh you're the woman whose death they faked. I'm Emma Keller, senior supervisory agent of the other team."

"So that's who I'm known as around here," Prentiss said. She saw Keller turn red. "It's no big deal. I'm glad to meet you Emma though it would have been nicer under better circumstances."

"Mind if I ask what brings you here Ms. Prentiss?"

"Please, it's Emily. Garcia never called to cancel face time which was unusual so I called her work number and Kevin Lynch picked up and so I got on a plane to come and help."

Keller looked from Blake to Prentiss. "This team has so many good friends," was all she could say.

"So how can I help?" Prentiss said.

"Victimology," Keller said. "We're trying to figure out what made these UNSUBs go after this team."

"So you believe it is more than one person?" she asked.

Blake nodded. "At least one accomplice and one mastermind. We're digging into the case files to see what pops up."

"Let me see what you have," Prentiss said and sat down.

For the next hour they went over notes on different cases. They ruled out Doyle's file based on the wording and the fact that one of the UNSUBs was able to blend into the New Hamlet community. Next they ruled out the Dirty Dozen as the members were held in super-max and Keller had already talked to the wardens about letters. They read every note on the Tobias Hankel case and found no connections. Then they ruled out the case where Reid violated protocols when confronting an armed bully. None of those associated with the victims demonstrated the level of sophistication needed to pull off an abduction like this.

Prentiss stood up. "Guy have you profiled this UNSUB as woman?"

"No," Keller said. "The pilot's guestimate heights were on par with that of male."

"Then what about a female mastermind?"

"Where are you going with this Emily?" Blake asked.

She looked at the pictures of the team. "Anyone could see how close they were based on body language. They were my family for a time. A mother who lost her son to these people might want vengeance."

Blake looked at her. "A mother needs children. What if we're looking at this wrong? What if there is a consortium of grieving families who want revenge?"

"We can't take on that many cases and neither can Kevin," Keller said. We're going to make a profile, then I'm calling Jones to see if she has found anything, next I'm calling Smith to tell him we need to deliver a profile. Finally, the International Response Team just came home. I'm putting their technical analyst Monty to work."

Prentiss went to the white board. "Let's start at the top. The UNSUB is a highly skilled female…"

…

Jones and Callahan stood in front of the computer the Keys of Wisdom left with a laptop of their own the table. Lynch was on the monitor. Both laptops had webcams.

Jones looked to Lynch. "Are you ready for this Kevin?"

"You have no idea Annie," he said seriously.

Jones took a step back.

"I have a message for the Keys of Wisdom," he said calmly. "You are interfering with a federal investigation into the abduction of eight federal agents, a crime punishable by a lengthy time in prison and multiple fines. You know who broke into the database and used Morgan's identity. You know who is sent the information to Timothy Lake. I may not have the access or the skills now but if you do not provide the answers that lead to the rescue of the agents I will spend every ounce of my energy day and night for the rest of my life searching for you and bringing you to justice."

Two minutes later an answer came: "We accept your challenge and welcome the hunt."

Kevin slapped the desk. "Damn it. Penelope was my girlfriend you sick S.O.B.s. She meant everything to me and still does on some level. If I lose her I lose part of my self!"

Jones looked at Callahan.

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Reason with them. You have ties to the team also."

"But I didn't date anyone on the team. Kevin was closest to them. Why don't you try?"

"Care to flip for it?"

"I really think you should give it a try as an outside agent."

Jones sighed and slid Lynch's screen aside and took a seat. "Hi," she said awkwardly. "I'm Annie Jones. I am the youngest member of my team. My specialty is forensics. I can look at evidence and in ways other people can't. But I don't think you want to hear about that. I am here to do a job and try to do it well." She bit her lip. "I am afraid. I am afraid of what I will find when we do find that team because we will do that much I know. I am afraid that when we find them they won't be whole. They won't be as efficient they won't be able to do their job and some might not come back from this. They lost their clothes. They're losing dignity every minute we can't find them. I don't expect you to understand but here is my plea: If you value any sort of human decency and the power of group thinking, help us find our colleagues.

Callahan smiled and gave her two thumbs up.

Five minutes later a web address appeared. Lynch could see it and entered the address.

The computer left one last message:

"You are lost the moment you know what the result will be."

Lynch came back on the line. "Guys this is disgusting."


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the support!

Chapter Seven:

He was there staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed laying on a thin cot on the ground

SM: "That muscle-brain who kicked down our door. I'd like to see him rot until he is just skin and bones. Then we'll see who can punch out who!"

He was asleep stretched using his arms as a pillow.

MG: "I'd like to see how smart that scrawny kid is once someone takes a scalpel to his brain."

She sat against the wall starting out the bars hugging her legs.

AC: "Pretty blonde. Oh how I dream of her."

She was sleeping in fetal position. Her hair covered her face.

KV: "Let's see who how brave the lady feeding the agents info is once she's out on her own."

He sat on the floor with his legs stretched out as he sat against the wall

TG: "I hear the guy in the suit was nearly stabbed to death. I wonder if he'd survive another stabbing."

He slept rolled to side of the wall.

JM: "David Rossi is so full of himself. He thinks he knows everything about every monster. He hasn't met a monster like me."

She laid on her side staring at the wall across from.

AT: "Lewis thinks she's so smart shrinking other people's heads. Someone should knock her down a few pegs, literally."

Keller pulled out a magnifying glass. "They're all look drugged and have collars on."

"Shock collars," Blake said shaking slightly.

"They also don't look like they know they're being watched. The cameras have to be embedded somewhere high.

She looked up from the pages presented by Blake. "These are in your opinion the most legitimate posts?"

Blake looked like she was on the verge of tears. "These seven forum posters are the ones who show the most coherent thought and are the most prolific. They have written far more graphic descriptions of what they'd like to see done to the agents. The webmaster MoM has encouraged these particular posters to pursue their fantasies with the promise of making them come true. Their reward are these images posted on special thread title 'Dreams Can Come True.'"

Keller turned the pages around. "And these are the cases you think they correspond to?"

Blake nodded.

"I'm sending these to everyone. Maybe Monty can start getting contact information for likely suspects."

Blake looked at the profile she was working on with Prentiss and Keller before she was called away to work on the forums when Kevin burst into tears upon reading the first post about Garcia. She noted that they profiled the UNSUB as a manipulative narcissist who may have lost a child because of the BAU. She is also highly intelligent and is a hacker or has the capability to get others to do so for her. It wasn't much to work with but it was better than what they had before.

"Alex."

She jumped when Keller touched her shoulder. "You did good work. We can take over from here. We'll catch them before she can do anything to them."

"What if she's already started?" Blake asked as tears fell from her eyes. "These are just photographs, they could be hours old."

"You can't think like that," Keller said. "She wanted the team incarcerated and sentenced to life imprisonment. All of what your read is cruel and unusual punishment."

"For our system of justice," Blake said. "But in hers, lobotomy could be used as a way to punish misbehavior."

Keller hugged her. "Alex, don't let your imagination go there. Believe in me and believe in this team," she said.

She then sat down and put the documents in a scanner. "I'd suggest taking a walk but I'm sorry. I can't let the families see you this upset."

Blake sat down and glanced at the door. "I know. I'm glad Emily is talking to them now."

"They trust her the most. She's family to them."

There was a beeping sound. Smith appeared on the monitor. "How are things?"

Keller sighed. "Blake spent the last hour digging into some of the sickest minds in our country online. How do you think Ian?"

"I can't imagine. Just remember it is for the good of the team we're going to rescue soon."

"I just sent you some images hopefully they'll lend insight on where they're being held. How are things on your front?" Keller asked.

"We've identified two men. One with dark hair and the other with light brown hair. Both with well-trimmed beards and mustaches. They claimed to be fishermen taking the long way home to Minneapolis.

"They have names?"

"Jason and Gideon. No one caught a last name."

Blake moaned. "They're even using the names of a dead member of the team."

"They had to have been driving a truck then," Keller said. "Did anyone identify the truck?"

"A white 2004 ford pickup truck with a lot of mud on it," Smith said. "The license was for Minnesota and no one could remember what the plate number was pealing so badly."

"That's progress," Blake said. "Have you put the sketches out?"

Smith nodded. "People are being put in high alert to look for these men in relation to a federal investigation involving missing federal personnel."

"So what now?" Keller asked.

"I'm sending Jones and Callahan to Mill Town I want them here when we catch a break."

"What do you want to do about Kevin?" Keller asked. "If we take him off the case he'll find a way to stay on it."

"Have Lynch work the profile while Monty helps us with the paper trail."

"Fine by me."

Prentiss appeared. "What did I miss?"

"How are the families," Blake asked.

"Things have turned from scared to frustrate. I met William Reid for the first time. He explained how Dianne needs Spencer more than ever. They all want answers now."

"I don't think they want the answers we've found," Blake said.

Keller gave Prentiss the printouts.

Prentiss looked horrified.

"My team," she whispered.

"Our team," Blake said.

"We're on our way to finding them," Smith interjected. "Everyone pack up. I want all hands on deck when we find MoM."


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the support!

Chapter Eight:

Marlon was waiting for them at the airport in Mill Town. He looked tired like hadn't slept much in the last twenty-four hours. It occurred to Jones that she must look the same.

Jones introduced them. They said hello and shook hands.

"How was Chicago?" he asked.

"I didn't get you a pizza," Jones said.

"I would've settled for a Cub's cap," he says with faint smile.

"We'll remember that the next time we never do this again," Callahan said.

"Maybe you can buy your own the next we go on a normal case," Jones said.

"I welcome the idea of 'normal' even though it isn't pleasant," Marlon said.

"It is the job," Callahan said as they approached the van.

"The job indeed," Jones said as they got in.

…

In the conference room Smith had a series of maps laid out on tables and on the walls.

"I spoke with a local geologist," he said. "That kind of mud and dirt is common to the area. What is interesting though is that the bars seem to be welded to the ground so the UNSUB are either proficient in the craft or knows someone.

Marlon jumped up. "Like our blacksmith UNSUB. Do you want me to go with some uniforms to find a map?"

Smith shook his head. "These UNSUBs are too smart. They probably took the map when one of them killed him.

"And he didn't have a GPS?" Callahan said.

"Nope."

"So what do we have?" Jones asked.

Smith tacked up the sketches of the UNSUBS with the word "MoM" in center.

"So who is MoM?" he asked the team.

Marlon sat down. "MoM is most like a play on words. Mother of someone and we don't have the resources sort so many names with M's in them."

"I think it might be a daughter she's avenging," Callahan said.

"Why?" Smith asked.

"The theatrics of it all," she said. "Mailing the clothes. The forums. Using symbolism. It doesn't scream blunt rage. A woman is trying to avenge the death of her daughter in a very emotional way."

"How are Monty and Lynch in the hunt to find the woman?" Jones asked.

"Hunting ghosts," Smith said. "Focus on MoM, who is she?"

"We don't have many pieces to work with," Marlon said.

"Well we know she is a charismatic woman to get 'Jason' and 'Gideon' to join her," Smith said.

"Or they're people who also been 'wronged' by the team," Callahan said.

"Or both," Jones said.

"Or both," Smith said. "Reading through Blake's analysis of the forum posters, I think one of them might be a surgeon."

"You think that lobotomizing Reid should be takes seriously?" Marlon said.

"I think all of them are possible. They could be starving Morgan right now. Brain surgery requires a bit of skill that you can't just pick up like hacking. There is talking of stabbing Hotchner. I disagree with Keller's assessment. I think MoM plans on doing all of this but in her own way."

"So one of them is a surgeon," Marlon said.

"Next," Smith said.

"Why does it look like they're drugged?" Callahan asked. "When they already have shock collars on?"

"More evidence of one of them being surgeon," Jones said suddenly. "Surgeons can work long hours without sleep."

"The shock collars are used to force them to eat the drugged food," Marlon said. "Drugging them keeps them from trying to escape."

Jones shook her head. "The shock collars and drugging seems like overkill. Obedience isn't that difficult when you see your best friends being shocked."

"The drugging is done to keep them in a permanent state of drowsiness," Smith said. "A permanent state of disorientation. They're having a hard time distinguishing reality."

"MoM is playing games with them," Jones said.

"MoM is trying to create a vision for them," Smith said. "MoM is telling a story about grief."

Jones closed her eyes. "Stories, visions, cases anyone?"

"Like an artist?" Callahan said.

Jones opened her eyes and jumped up. "Exactly like an artist. MoM is Mother of Morpheus. I remember the case because that was the second time Reid had art books all over his desk."

"I remember that case too," Smith said. "The BAU wasn't directly responsible for the artist's or the UNSUB's death."

"In her mind they could have caught him faster or done something to stop the death. In her own twisted way she is carrying on her daughter's vison. Does that sound right?"

"It is with what we have Annie," Smith said. "Good work everyone. Let get the info to everyone else. Keller, Blake, and Prentiss should be here soon and then we'll know even more."


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the support!

Chapter Nine:

Smith put a picture of middle-aged woman with long silver hair in the center of a board.

"Dr. Nina Kemp, a psychologist based in Baton Rouge who specialized in adolescent behavior," he said.

Monty's voice came over the line. "Who was on the conference attendee list for the same event Dr. Lewis was speaking at eight months ago."

Smith added to the time line. "We have our start point. Our trigger. What else Monty?"

"She has written a lot about bullying culture. A highly regarded speaker. Nothing stands out aside from a grant rejection relating to studying bullies in prisons."

"What was the reason?" Prentiss asked.

"A lot of academic jargon. Something about it being too risky for her to witness."

"Email it to me," Blake said. "I'll see what I can find."

"Sending it now," he said.

"I don't suppose her name is on any property around here," Callahan said.

"Sorry, only a time-share in Florida" Monty said.

Smith pointed to two images of posted around the area. "How did she come in contact with Jason and Gideon?"

Monty came back on line. "She took a leave of absence for spinal surgery two years ago."

"We our surgeon then," Marlon said. "Give us a name Monty."

"Dr. Corbin Graff," Monty said. "Lost his wife during a hostage stand-off three months before the surgery."

Smith made a note on the board.

"We need the hacker next. Someone needing a caring understanding figure in their life."

"Or mentor," Prentis said. "Did she work at any clinics with students?"

"Seven, and one matches our description to a tee, Leon Marston, duo major in psychology and computer science. This one was last year not long after her daughter was killed. A no, none of them have land holdings in Minnesota."

Smith began to pace around the room. "We're missing something. Nina Kemp, triggered by the loss of her daughter, sought vengeance on those who failed to protect her."

Jones sat up. "Maybe there is a fourth person in all of this," she said. "Someone local who can easily be manipulated."

Kester closed her eyes. "I am Nina Kemp. First I lost my grand-daughter. Now I have lost my daughter a gifted artist, because the FBI failed to protect her. I council those who need guidance in their lives yet I am lost in my grief. I don't know who to turn to."

Marlon leaned in. "She found it on a message board. Not hers but someone else's."

Smith turned to the phone. "Monty, find anyone in Minnesota and surrounding two states who lost someone in an FBI-related incident."

"That might take some time."

"Then recruit Lynch."

There was a pause on the line. "Lynch left with only a note saying that he is going after Penelope."

Smith didn't blink. "Trace his phone and credit cards."

"He currently on a plane to Mill Town it should be at your location thirty minutes."

Prentiss laced her fingers together. "Maybe it won't be so hard. Message board creators need some of strong motivation. What about Garcia's? Someone may have twisted her message around mentally to meet their vision for vengeance."

"We have something," Monty announced. "A private estate owned by a Miles Nichols, a member of Garcia's support group until he inherited money from an uncle in Roseau Minnesota and moved here a year ago."

Marlon got up. "That enough probable cause?"

"Under any other circumstances no," Smith said. "But with this case I think we might catch a break. Everybody suit up. We're going to find our people. Monty send a map of the estate."

…

The estate was the fourth largest in the town. There was sense of unease when they saw the gates left wide open. Smith ordered the near-by bridges and streets be cordoned off as a preventative measure.

Marlon, Blake, and Jones were the first to find it. There were prisons dug below the basement. All of them were empty. Blake fell to her knees when she saw the hair clippings and the operating table the middle of the room. The rest of the team followed in afterwards. Kester folded her into a hug.

"Blake, there isn't evidence they did anything to his brain. The bone saw is dry. The anesthesia drip hadn't even started."

"But he must have been terrified," she said tearfully.

Smith walked through to the next room filled with monitors. "They saw us coming. They even had the conference room at the police station rigged."

"Any audio?" Marlon asked.

"No, we need to find their exit strategy."

The search began again.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note:

Thanks for the support! Keller became Kester at some point and I didn't notice until now. The woman whose name begins with Ke shares Rossi's position but is younger. Look for an end note.

Chapter Ten:

A large white truck blocked four lanes on the Reseau Bridge. The front was angled towards the guard rail. Nina Kemp was leaning against the passenger door with a gun to her head. She looked perfectly calm in a gray pants suit and white blouse.

The local police had set up barricades around the truck preparing for the worst. The team found Kevin Lynch on the scene with bullet-proof vest looking tense. Smith ordered everyone to stand back and walked past the barricades. He put down his gun and raised his hands.

"You have our undivided attention Dr. Kemp now what do you want?"

"Congratulations, Ian. You did an adequate job finding them. But you know the other team would have found you quicker if roles were reversed."

"You haven't answered my question Dr. Kemp," he steadily.

"You have to admit there is a certain amount of love in what I have done. I have nurtured the fantasies of so many people. And look at your group. Three people came to your aid out of love for this team."

"I see only madness in your desire to torture both teams," he said. "Do you think mine should be envious of the team you're holding captive? I think every team has their strengths and I have just shown mine by capturing you."

She smiled. "You think you've won haven't you?"

"I think the team is a heck of a lot closer to safety than they were twenty minutes ago."

"Then you have underestimated me Ian. I have a gift for nurturing the most violent tendencies in people along with the desire for relief. I am in pain Ian and this has always been the endgame. My daughter is dead. I need to leave an impact bigger than hers so that she can be remembered through me."

She took a deep breath and screamed: "NOW!"

The truck smashed through the guard rail. Kemp then shot herself in the head while still wearing a serene smile.

Lynch screamed. Smith called for emergency crews to the river. The rest of the team rushed past the barricades and watched as the truck sank. The light turned on in the cab and there was a splatter of blood.

Callahan and Blake burst into tears. The clung to each other and Prentiss hugged Lynch who was shaking with emotion.

Keller approached Smith who was watching as the truck submerged completely.

"Something doesn't feel right does it? She said.

"Either Marston, Graff, or Nichols are in that truck. She convinced one of them that life was meaningless without out their loved ones."

Jones joined them. "Or all of them," she said. "They could all be in that truck."

Marlon joined them also. "It has to be Nichols, he was the one living with the grief the longest. She had to have convinced him that pain he was living with would never go away no matter how hard he tried to move on."

"The same argument could be made against that," Keller said. "He had lived the longest without a loved. He to have built something from his grief."

Smith walked away from the gap. "They're still alive. I know they are." He pulled out a radio. "Keep the traffic barrier up. Search every vehicle and have your guns ready."

Prentiss looked to Smith. "You think they're alive."

"I know it," he said firmly.

Lynch instantly let go upon hearing this. "Let's find them," he said with resolve as his body shook.

Smith led the team while Keller hung back, keeping Blake, Callahan, and Lynch from getting too close.

They methodically searched every vehicles. Most of the occupants were terrified but cooperative. Van doors were slammed shut and truck doors were pulled down with equal rage. It was starting to feel like Smith had been wrong.

Then there was the sound of bullets.

It was three lanes over down to rows from Prentiss. A state trooper had been shot dead and the gunman was now aiming wildly. The agents took positions behind vehicles as both men emerged and shot from behind the doors.

"Give up," Smith said. "It's over!"

"Not until our clips are empty!" the man who used the name Jason said.

Smith barely dodged a bullet.

Prentiss rolled behind a vehicle, leapt up, and shot the man they mostly knew as Gideon squarely in the chest.

Smith signaled to Jones and Marlon. Smith kept firing Marlon and Jones weaved around vehicles. Prentiss saw the signal and kept firing too.

Marlon shot him in the leg and Jones shot him in the back of the head. The circled around to look for any other shooters. Marlon crawled into the cab and pulled out the keys. He handed them to Smith and took aim at the truck as a precaution.

They were laying tightly next to each other in neat a row. They were all wearing shock collars. Hotch was closest to the entrance.

"Please, don't hurt my team," he said weakly as he used his hand to block out the light.

"Medic!" he shouted and then approached Hotch.

"Aaron it okay," he said gripping his hand. "It's over, you're safe."

The medics and Keller's group arrived at the same time.

Hotch was able to slowly get up and out of the truck. Prentiss caught a glimpse of J.J. next and rushed towards her. J.J. pulled away from the medic and fell into her arms. They both began to cry.

Rossi was next and Callahan rushed forward to give him a hug. Tears silently fell down his cheeks as he embraced her.

Penelope came next with her hair covering her face. She let out a squeak and then a sob when Lynch latched on to her.

Lewis came and fell into the medic's arm without looking at anyone. Morgan lurched forward and started to beg to speak with his wife.

Blake and the medics rushed into the van to find Reid. A stretcher was brought in. The pulled him out with Reid holding on to Blake's hand.

There were so many tears. Keller held on to Jones by the side and she grabbed on to Marlon. Smith joined them.

"Let's go home," he said.

End Note:

This is not the end. I have one more chapter for this story. I also know next nothing about Minnesota aside from the fact that had a town and river I was looking for.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note:

Thanks for the support!

Chapter Eleven:

Four days later there was a knock on Smith's door. Hotch in one of his impeccable suits appeared.

"Hi Ian, do you have a minute?" he asked.

"For you, all the time in the world," he said gesturing for him to sit down.

Smith walked to the window.

"What are you doing?" Hotch asked.

"Checking to see if my team was exchanging any money over when they expected to see you in the office. I predicted yesterday."

A faint hint of a smile appeared on his face. It quickly vanished and he looked somber again.

Smith snapped the blinds shut and sat behind his desk.

"What can I do for you Aaron?"

"Tell me about the victimology," he said. "I know you can't disclose your whole report but tell me why my team was chosen."

"Nina Kemp was a grieving narcissist who saw something in your team she wanted: A family unit."

"I didn't even know who she was. She shocked us every time we tried to ask a question to gain some understanding of she was."

Hotch visibly froze when he said the word "shock."

Smith shook his head. "We will never have all the answers we're looking for because they all had a death wish Aaron. They wanted to hurt you but would rather die than face another day without some sort of purpose."

"There was a forum," Hotch said. "Lynch let it slip that there was a forum of fantasies for what people wanted to see done to us."

"You've been through enough Aaron," he said. "I sent that part of it to cybercrimes. They apprehended the administrators and took down the site for good. Even Garcia would only be chasing shadows."

"Are you suggesting that Reid's lobotomy was not the worst thing planned for my team?" he asked.

"There were so many terrible things described, it would be hard to choose the worst frankly," Smith said.

"They made us watch as they shaved his head," Hotch said suddenly. "They shocked us into standing up even though most of us were so drugged up we could barely stand. It was even worse for Reid because they described exactly which lobes they planned on cutting into. I couldn't tell you how they were going to damage him but from the tears on his face he did. They were just drawing lines on his head when you breached the perimeters."

"How is Reid?" Smith asked.

Hotch shook his head. "Not good. None of us are but Blake offered to take him in. She says he has horrible nightmares and doesn't sleep much."

Smith leaned in. "Is there anything that isn't in your statement that you want to get off your chest Hotch?"

"None of us were physically assaulted. It was all through orders, shocks, and drugs via needle or food. I can barely remember parts of it and then suddenly I have a fresh thought in the middle of the day and I feel my neck for a collar and a shock."

"Aaron you'll get through this," Smith said forcefully. "You've been through worse."

"It is not just me Ian," Hotch said. "I saw my team harmed and humiliated and I couldn't protect them. It felt worse than any knife wound I have encountered."

"You're still a team Aaron," Smith said. "Lean on each other for strength and support. You will get through this together."

Hotch looked at the floor. "I'm not sure we'll be a team much longer. I don't expect everyone to choose to come back."

"Don't think about that right now," Smith said. "Work on healing yourself and finding some semblance of peace."

Hotch got up. "Thank you Ian. Thank you for listening."

Smith shook hands with him.

"Any time Aaron, any time."

…

Three days later they came back from a case to find Reid and J.J.'s cubicles cleared out.

"What's happening," Jones asked. "Did they both quit? They can't have quit."

"They were probably put on administrative leave," Smith said. "Another team has to take their place Annie otherwise we're the only unit covering cases."

"That's not right," Marlon said. "To clear their stuff out like they're not there anymore."

Keller approached Jones. "You also have to face the possibility that they won't come back. They each went through a lot."

"Then it means all we did to save them…" Jones couldn't finish the sentence.

Smith stepped forward. "We saved their lives Annie. What they do with their lives is up to them. But for now we have to be professional and welcome the new team with all the courtesy we might expect if roles were reversed."

"This is BS," Marlon muttered and stormed out. Jones quickly followed.

"Emma," Smith said gesturing towards his office. "How about a drink?"

"I like the way you think Ian," she said and followed him.

…

Three months later, Smith and his team arrived early in the morning from another case. No one felt like filling out paperwork but Cruz was insistent. Marlon arrived at his desk first to find the cubicles blank again. He looked to Smith.

Smith looked equally shocked. "I have no idea what is going on."

Keller looked to conference room closest to them. "I do. We always leave our blinds open."

Jones and Marlon looked to each other and grinned. They ran up the stairs to the other team's conference room.

"Don't forget you still have paper work," Smith said.

Keller and Jones followed at a slower pace to the now open conference. The whole team was assembled there aside from Morgan which surprised no one. There were a balloons everywhere and a big thank you sign lit up the video screen. Jones was hugging Garcia and Marlon was shaking hands with Rossi. J.J. was cutting up a cake that said thank you. Hotch was standing to the side as mimosas were passed around. He was smiling.

"We're all back, subject to a six month re-evaluation."

Smith patted him on the back. "Great news!"

"We have even more news," J.J. said. "Kate is coming back as Morgan's replacement."

"Terrific," Keller said after hugging Reid. His hair was growing back quickly.

Hotch picked up a glass and everyone followed suit. "To your team Ian. None of us would be here without your hard work and dedication. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

"Cheers!" everyone shouted.

There was a sudden beeping and a ringing of a phones. Hotch looked up.

"We have a case," he said.

Every member of the other team smiled.

THE END

Thank you all so much for your support and reviews! This has been a lot of fun. Thanks again.


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